Only need data occasionally? Verizon offers their $10 per day no contract service for EVDO on the go via embedded or add-on wireless modem card/USB stick and now Virgin Mobile the no-contract kings, are offering EVDO Rev. A data for notebooks and computers with no commitment. The service works with their Novatel Wireless MC760 USB wireless modem, sold only at Best Buy Mobile stores.

Rates run as follows:

$10 for 10 days and 100 megs of data $20 for 250 megs and 30 days$40 for 600 megs and 30 days$60 for 30 days and 1 gig of data

Overall, that's not a lot of data-- heavy users be warned. Just surfing and doing email? Then you should do fine. But stay away from iTunes movie downloads and P2P. 1 iTunes HD movie eats up 500 megs! You get 5 gigs per month for $60 with the contract carriers, but then they do require a contract.

Is there really an iTunes HD movie that is only 500 megs? Quantum of Solace in HD is more like 3.54 GB (in fact, even the SD version is 1.49 GB). Even single episodes of a TV series in HD can easily exceed 1 GB each.

You'd probably need some sort of specially fortified mailbox for the bills for that much bandwidth!